Innocence of Mine Chapter 13 Bubbles of Feeling, a ranma fanfic

Innocence of Mine

By Douglas Helm and "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl

Those characters that are original and the story "Innocence of Mine" are copyrighted ©2006 ShoujoFiction .com by Douglas Helm and Will Wolfshohl. Ranma ½ characters are copyrighted by Rumiko Takahashi.

This story and our many other stories reside at our Shoujo Fiction dot com domain. Comments are welcomed and encouraged.

Chapter 13 - Bubbles of Feeling

"A father figure?" Akane questioned, disbelief showing in every word, "Him?" She jabbed her thumb towards Ranma and gave a snort.

Ranma opened his mouth to protest but Kasumi beat him to it. "I don't understand, Akane-chan. Why don't you think that Ranma-kun is a father figure?"

"Because, Kasumi-chan, look at the example he's got. And besides, he's the wrong gender half the time."

"That ain't my fault!" he complained.

Akane snorted again. "True, it's your dad's! He's the baka who dragged you off to Jusenkyo and didn't have the good sense to listen to what the guide was telling him." As the pigtailed martial artist started to build a response, his supposed fiancée continued her rant, "You likely wouldn't even qualify as a good MOTHER figure given your mother agreed to a seppuku agreement." Ranma stiffened.

"That's enough, Akane!" Kasumi barked sharply.

"You can't seriously think this is all normal for Nabiki!" Akane shouted back. Her aura was flaring. "Ranma never had normal parents and now Nabiki of all people... NABIKI who uses Ranma as fodder for her schemes, sees him as a father figure?"

Kasumi gave her younger sister a disappointed look. "I agree that Ranma-kun does have certain qualities which are not conducive to good childrearing." She paused as Akane snorted again. "But he does have several that are good father qualities. I see them, Imouto-chan, and I think Nabiki is seeing them too." 'Maybe this will do them both some good.'

"What are you talking about, Kasumi? He's nothing like Dad!"

"He's nothing like Saotome-ojisan either."

Ranma, bewildered, watched as sweet, innocent Kasumi bowed to them both and left the dojo. After a minute or so, he asked, "Hey Akane, what just happened?" Akane's answer was to hit him with her mallet.

# # # # #

Nabiki groaned a little as she struggled her way to wakefulness. She felt as if she were fighting against a soggy heavy blanket. When her eyes finally did open, she found that her room was dimly lit by a single lamp and that her father, Soun, was looking down at her.

"You okay, Nabiki?" he asked her. She yawned. Smiling, her father brushed a few wisps of hair away from her forehead. "Did you sleep okay, Musume?"

"Hai..." Nabiki nodded and then pushed herself up. "What time is it, Daddy?" She rubbed her eyes.

"Nearly four."

Nabiki shifted about so she could hug him. He hugged her back. Then he sat next to her with his arm around her and her head resting on his shoulders for some minutes quietly listening to the wind outside. It didn't seem so loud now but still whistled and rushed about the house as if playing tag. Soun reveled in affection his daughter hadn't shown him in many years.

The pair only broke apart when the door opened and Kasumi guided into the room. "How are you feeling, Nabiki-chan?" She shrugged, not knowing how she felt until her father supplied, "I think a little sad, ne Nabiki-chan?" She nodded feeling tears starting to well up in her eyes. She blinked them back and tried to smile.

"Would you like to help me with supper, Na-chan?" Nabiki nodded. "Well, in that case, get dressed, and come downstairs."

"HAI!" Nabiki declared, now feeling happy and excited.

A short time later, Nabiki skipped down the stairs, humming to herself. She smiled as she saw Akane come into the hall. "Onee-chan!" she called out, jumping down the last of the stairs so she could hug her sister.

"I wish you'd stop that, Nabiki. I'm younger than you are," Akane said in a flat sort of voice. The seventeen year old girl let go of her sister and backed off, a pained look on her face. "Ne, what's with those pigtails?" Akane asked.

"I like 'em, Onee... Akane-chan."

"They look baka," Akane mocked and brushed past her sister. Her sister's hair was just too short for any type of a proper pigtail. They looked like an attempt on a toddler. The pink ribbons tying them only added to the ridiculous effect.

Nabiki briefly considered crying but suppressed the urge. Instead, she asked, "Ne, did you apologize to Ranma-san?"

"Why would I wanna do that?"

"'Cause you was mean to him." 'I was too,' she thought sadly.

"He's a jerk!" Akane shouted.

"Is not," Nabiki argued.

"He's a perverted jerk!"

Nabiki scowled then said, "I'm tellin'!" She didn't know what "perverted" meant but it must be a bad word. Instead of apologizing though, Akane just shrugged and continued up the stairs. She hoped Akane was fibbing. Still, it wasn't very nice. Fuming, she made her way to the kitchen where she found Kasumi and, much to her delight, Ranma.

"Ranma-san!" she squealed happily. She ran over and hugged him.

"Hey Nabiki," Ranma replied, sounding odd. He hugged her back half-heartedly and dropped his arms back down.

"Did Akane-chan apologize to you?" When Ranma shook his head, the teenager continued with a very sincere tone, "I think you need to give her a good spankin'." She nodded in agreement with herself. That seemed to be the only thing that worked on her Akane. Too bad that Kaji wouldn't let her exchange Akane-oneechan for this one.

Ranma only boggled but Kasumi giggled. "Na-chan, come and help me." Nabiki let go of Ranma and gave her sister a big smile. "Ranma-kun, supper will be ready in a little while." The pigtailed youth took the hint and left the kitchen.

When he was gone, Nabiki turned to her sister. "Ne, Onee-san, I wanna make somethin' extra special for Ranma-san."

"Why?"

"I need to apologize." Nabiki giggled as Kasumi rumpled her hair.

"When did you start wearing pigtails, Na-chan?" They looked comical but she wasn't about to insult her sister.

"I always did, Onee-san... They were just invisible." Kasumi wasn't quite sure how to respond to this. Maybe she could help Nabiki do a better job on them later.

# # # # #

Genma Saotome, for a change not in his panda form, sat brooding over supper. Ranma had been blunt just before it - the next time Nodoka showed, he fully intended to greet her as his mother. He would accept the risk that his mother might force him to commit seppuku for not being a "man's man". Ranma had hinted that his father's options were limited: either to go live alone in the wild as a panda or face his wife.

Neither one was appealing.

Of course, Genma blamed it all on Nabiki. Had that been her plan all along? He just didn't know what to do about it. Kasumi was showing protectiveness that the martial artist expected from a mother lioness and his lifelong friend Soun hadn't cried as much as Genma thought he should have given the situation.

Moreover, he could not find any weakness in Nabiki's act, nor understand why she would be acting that way if it were only meant as a deception. Of course, Dr. Tofu had told them the reasons but Genma had his doubts; this was Nabiki Tendo after all. Was the Nodoka threat just a coincidence? Now as he sat at his friend's table eating supper, he watched Nabiki interact with his son, who was looking uncertain. She was anything but the cocky calculating young woman that he'd grown accustomed to.

'Women hinder the man,' Genma thought, 'That's why I took Ranma away. Soun is blinded by his love.' He regarded Akane who was looking angry (as usual). 'She's the only one of the lot whose worth spit to marry Ranma. 'Though I would prefer it to be Kasumi. Akane can't cook and is too violent. Nabiki would have had the financial sense but she's too headstrong. She'd throw me out on my butt the first chance she got.' Genma blinked. "You're going to marry Ranma!" he blurted out, meaning Akane but staring at Nabiki.

All of them gaped at him. There was several awkward seconds of dead silence and then Nabiki dropped her chopsticks, wrapped her arms about Ranma, and squealed, "HAI!" 'Arigato Saotome-ojisan!'

"NANI?" Akane and Ranma demanded simultaneously. Soun, having saved up so much liquid, burst into a flood of tears.

'Kawaii.' "All little girls want to marry their father at one time or another," Kasumi commented nonchalantly while continuing to eat, "You did at one time, Akane." Genma shivered. Soun continued to cry and Ranma gave both Tendo sisters an apprehensive look.

"Don't cry, Daddy!" Nabiki pleaded to Soun, "Gomen nasai. I didn't mean to make you cry!" Massive tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Soun, much to the surprise of Genma, suddenly stopped. "You didn't, sweetheart. Don't be sad. You're my big girl."

"Hai!" Nabiki chirped again, grinning and continuing to hug Ranma.

"What do you mean YOU'RE gonna marry Ranma, Onee? I'm the one engaged to the baka jerk!" Akane shouted. 'Me and three others...' Ranma, deciding for once to ignore Akane's rant, started eating again.

"Yeah but you don't love him, Onee-chan, and you really don't wanna either, ne?" Nabiki asked her sister, a serious look on her face.

"Of course, I don't wanna marry him, Nabiki. I never have. It was you and Kasumi who said it should be me. You never gave me a say." Akane glared at Kasumi, then Nabiki, and finally her father. "And Dad said that Ranma should choose between us like we're hunks of meat. It's obvious that he's a coward because he has three girls and one boy chasing after him and none of them are Tendo's. So much for the family honor," she scoffed.

"Akane..." Kasumi warned.

"Iie, let's have this out, Kasumi. Nabiki says she wants to marry Ranma. She reneged on that before."

"Akane, what means 'reneged'?" Nabiki asked but was ignored.

"Ranma hates her and so do you!" the youngest Tendo declared.

"I do not!" her older sister denied. "I love him!" 'Why is Akane being so mean?' She chewed her bottom lip. "But Ranma-san might hate me 'cause I wasn't very nice to him. I was a bad girl. Gomen nasai." She bowed deeply to him with tears falling.

"You don't hate her, NE RANMA-KUN?" Kasumi stated coolly. She knew Nabiki was defending her "father" like any little girl might do.

"Nope, Nabiki's okay I guess. I don't hate her or nothing," Ranma answered hoping it was a safe response. Apparently, it wasn't because Akane leapt to her feet. Much to his surprise, Nabiki did as well.

"Don't you hurt him!" Nabiki shouted at her sister. She quickly scooted around so she was standing defiantly in front of Ranma. She would just have to prove to her family that she was a good girl.

"Please... You even need a little girl to defend you, you pervert," Akane sneered. "Dad, are you sure it's worth uniting our dojos when Ranma can't even stand up to your daughter?"

Akane never saw the blow coming. One instant, she was glaring at her father, the room filled with tension, and the next instant, the heir to the Tendo Dojo was staggering backwards, nose throbbing, Nabiki glowering at her with her fists raised. A moment later, her pigtailed sister's face crumpled and Nabiki burst into a stream of tears that easily outdid anything her father could muster.

Genma sat stunned. Like earlier, he wasn't sure how to respond. Some squabbling was good for their relationship; it kept it healthy. This though... His first reaction was to provoke Ranma but then, Nabiki had burst into tears. He didn't want to draw Kasumi's wrath, or Soun's for that matter. The elder Saotome froze as he saw Ranma rise to his feet. His son was giving Akane the same sort of look he typically reserved for Happosai. 'Maybe they'll start to battle!' He could feel hope rise within him. 'Then Akane will prove she will make strong sons for Ranma!' That thought was completely smashed after his son touched Nabiki gently on the shoulder. The middle Tendo daughter turned to press herself into him. He was appalled to see Ranma begin hugging the crying teenager, instead of his fiancée.

"What are you doing, pervert?" Akane demanded.

"When you cried when we were up at that hot springs, Akane, I hugged you. Nabiki is crying. She's sad because of what YOU said. Shouldn't you apologize?"

"For what? It's all true!" Akane shouted.

"Kasumi-chan," Soun interjected, "Would you take your imouto upstairs?"

"Hai, Otou-san," Kasumi agreed. She rose then moved around to take the sobbing teen into her arms. Genma wanted to cry too - no strong grandsons would ever appear.

"Na-chan," Ranma offered. Nabiki snuffled and regarded Ranma teary-eyed. "Your okonomiyaki is just as good as Ukyo's." He looked abashed as the young woman suddenly stopped crying, sniffled, and then gave Ranma another large hug before letting Kasumi lead her from the room.

"You liked that, ne pervert?" Akane demanded.

The pigtailed boy smirked. "Well, it's lots better than being hit."

'Here come the fireworks!' Genma thought.

Akane's temper was at uncharted levels. Even a layman could see the aura. "SAOTOME!" the youngest Tendo bellowed, "I CHALLENGE YOU!"

"Nani?" Ranma squeaked. Soun and Genma sat up.

"I challenge you to a formal match!"

"I don't hit girls, Akane. You know that," Ranma complained, looking as if the whole universe was picking on him. 'Maybe Nabiki would hug me again...'

"If you don't accept my challenge, Saotome, you'll lose and have that stain on your honor FOREVER. The great Ranma Saotome loses a match... to a girl - too scared to fight her. I can just hear Ryouga now..." Akane gave an evil sort of smile. "I can just imagine it." When Ranma didn't say anything. When after several seconds Ranma didn't say anything, Akane added, "You know, I just figured out why you haven't started chasing after any of your fiancées."

"Why?" Ranma growled.

"You have a Lolita complex." The teenager cocked her head. "Actually maybe you have a MOTHER complex too."

'Oh dear...' Genma winced, 'This won't be pretty.'

# # # # #

As the two eldest sisters made their way upstairs, Kasumi was trying to think of something to distract Nabiki. "Na-chan, you shouldn't be sad."

"But, Onee-chan, I don't like it when Akane's mean to Ranma-san... HE DIDN'T DO NOTHING WRONG."

"I know... I think maybe your imouto is just worried about you and well..."

"Nani?" her childlike sister questioned.

Kasumi smiled. "I think she's a little jealous." She considered for a moment. "I remember when you were six. It was at your birthday party. Every time you opened a present, Akane screamed her head off. She thought she should've gotten one too." Nabiki giggled. "I think maybe your imouto is jealous now because you can hug Ranma and she hasn't got to do that."

"But Ranma likes hugs!" 'Just because Akane doesn't wanna...' Kasumi was dubious about that statement but didn't bother disabusing her sister of the notion. Conversely, Nabiki liked hugs even more now than when she was a little girl. "Onee-chan, will you take a bath with me? I'd be scared all by myself."

Kasumi blinked. "You're a big girl though, Na-chan."

"Please Onee-chan... I'd ask Da... Ranma-san to but I don't want Akane getting all mad... jealous again." 'She'd hit him again for sure.'

Kasumi giggled. 'Kawaii but...' "I don't think Ranma would want to bathe with you."

"Honto? How come?" 'I thought he likes me.'

"He's a boy," Kasumi pointed out. She ushered her sister into her bedroom and then continued, "Besides, Na-chan, you're a very pretty seventeen year old woman."

"He won't get all grossed out at me if we take a bath then, ne Onee-chan?" There was something strangely exciting about it. 'Maybe...' "I know I'm not as kawaii big..." She looked down at herself.

"But Ranma-kun is a boy," Kasumi stated again as if this was a perfectly reasonable argument.

"Yeah, Daddy's a boy too," Nabiki pointed out.

"Daddy has not taken a bath with us in a long time," Kasumi countered.

"Well, he did when we were little; Mommy too. 'N' the time we went to the hot springs and..."

"Nabiki Tendo, Ranma is a fine young man, not our father," Nabiki nodded, looking expectant. "And you're an UNMARRIED young lady."

"Yeah, okay... so?"

"Ranma's not a little boy."

"Yeah... So?" That made it better in her opinion. Why was her sister so flustered? 'The furo's big enough for all of us.'

"It's just not proper. You won't have any clothes on when you're bathing."

"Be kinda silly if I did, Onee-chan!" the middle Tendo sister declared then giggled, still not understanding her sister's objection.

"Ranma's not family."

"Is too."

"He will be," Kasumi agreed.

"Good. So it's okay then, ne Onee-chan?"

"Iie, he's not family yet." Then Kasumi uttered in a near whisper, "Besides, Ranma-kun would be n-naked." The very thought made her blush.

She was even more distressed when her naive little sister shrugged her shoulders and asked, "So?"

Kasumi opened her mouth, closed it, and opened it again. Little kids seemed to have a sense of logic all their own. 'Kami-sama, explaining the facts of life to Nabiki was hard enough last time...' She grimaced. 'Akane was harder though.' In a final attempt to dissuade her sister from the notion of bathing with Ranma, at least while she was in her current mental state, Kasumi remarked, "Well, maybe when we go to the beach this summer, Ranma-kun will swim with you." The eldest Tendo daughter did not like the gleam that came into Nabiki's eyes then. At least, he'd be in girl form there. "Now, do you want me to take a bath with you, Na-chan?"

"Hai!"

# # # # #

Kasumi Tendo found the object of her earlier anguish with Nabiki in the kitchen eating cold takoyaki (fried octopus balls). "Ranma, those are supposed to be eaten hot. You don't want to get sick." When the pigtailed martial artist didn't respond, she asked, "Ne, Ranma-kun, where's Akane?"

"The dojo... Training for OUR MATCH," he replied then popped another "octopus ball" into his mouth. "By the way, Kasumi, supper was sugoi."

"Match?"

"Hai, Akane FORMALLY challenged me," he answered, sounding annoyed. "Y'know she didn't have to drag my mom into this, Kasumi."

"Your mother?" He nodded. The eldest Tendo sister was concerned. "Oh my... I hope you don't think less of us." She bowed. "Gomen nasai."

Ranma paused in his chewing. "It's between me and Akane and it'll get settled soon." He finished chewing, swallowed, and asked, "So, Kasumi, why'd you want her?"

"I wanted to ask her if she would bathe with Nabiki and I, like the old days." She sighed then and shook her head. "Maybe it's best she's not here. Those two need some time apart." She gave the young man a long look and then added coyly, "You're lucky, Ranma-kun. You came very close to needing your bathing suit tonight."

"Eer... Why?" He was eyeing Kasumi warily, as if the demure coed had suddenly changed into Shampoo.

"Because Nabiki... I mean Na-chan wanted..." She started blushing. "She wanted to take a bath with you." The young martial artist started choking on the takoyaki that he had been chewing.

"Nani?"

"I talked her out of it," she assured him, sounding slightly annoyed, "She just doesn't... I pointed out that you were a boy, and she was a girl and that non-family just shouldn't bathe together at home."

"Na-chan didn't buy that, ne Kasumi?"

"She said you were family." The older girl sighed. "Thankfully, she figured that Akane would be mad at you if you did."

"That's for sure." He was happy that Kasumi had intervened so he could escape that horrible fate. Akane was in enough of a tizzy today already. "Akane should be okay if it's just you and Nabiki."

"And..."

"And?" Ranma prompted, "Not Tendo-san..." 'Poor guy...' When Kasumi shook her head, he prodded, "Well, what then?"

"Bubbles," the nineteen year old stated, a pained look on her face.

"Bubbles?"

"Pink bubbles... in the furo," she elaborated. 'It'll take me a week to clean the furo when we're done.'

Ranma might have asked something at this point but was distracted by the pounding of approaching feet. Seconds later, an annoyed, and rather naked, Nabiki Tendo slid to a stop in the doorway to the kitchen and announced, "'Nee-chan, I'm ready!" Ranma whipped around searching in vain for an escape route but it was too late.

Spotting Ranma, Nabiki giggled innocently and asked, "Ranma-san, will you read me a bedtime story later?" Somehow, dumbfounded, he nodded his head. "Sugoi!" And she skipped away.

# # # # #

Nabiki Tendo giggled as she once again sank up to her chin in the warm bubbly water of the furo. "Sugoi!" she declared to her sister. The furo seemed somewhat smaller than when she was a child but no less enjoyable, especially with her mommy... big sister there.

"I'm glad you like it, Na-chan," Kasumi, sitting across from her with her hair wrapped in a towel, replied with a smile.

"Tomorrow school will be open, ne Onee-chan? I can't wait." 'Minako-chan and Ruri-chan won't believe how big I am! I wonder why they didn't come over to play?'

"I think so... The snow's stopped and the plows are working," her sister stated. "Although Tofu-sensei did say that you'd be excused from school."

"But I wanna go!"

"Na-chan, let's see how you're feeling tomorrow and decide, okay?"

"Un..." Nabiki sat up and mused, "Do... Do you think I'll be as pretty as you some day, Onee-chan?" She chewed her lip looking worried.

"You ARE pretty, Nabiki."

"But my hair's so short," Nabiki complained, tugging at the wet mop of hair she had.

"You'll just have to let it grow out if that's what you want." Kasumi shifted around so she could wrap an arm about her sister. "I missed doing this, bathing together and just talking as sisters. We haven't done that much after Mom died, ne Imouto?"

"Iie..." The teenager chewed her lip for a moment and then smiled. "Sometimes, I think I was naughty just so Mommy'd come back and yell at me." She shifted to be closer to her sister. "It didn't work though. Gomen nasai."

"It's just Otou-san and us," Kasumi explained softly. "I wish I had tried that..." She gave a soft smile and then giggled. She giggled even more when Nabiki stared at her with wide eyes. "Nani?"

"You weren't ever bad, Onee-chan," Nabiki declared. "You were the bestest... Not like me. I was a bad little girl."

Kasumi straightened and gave her younger sister a reproachful look. "All children misbehave sometimes."

"Not you."

The coed blushed a little as she admitted, "Even me, Na-chan. There is no such thing as a child who behaves perfectly all the time." Her sister was looking rather dubious at this point. "You think I was always goody-goody, ne?"

"Daddy never gots mad at you," Nabiki pointed out.

"That was because he had to deal with Akane. He was happy to train at least one of us in 'The Art'," the young woman commented. "And after Okaa-san died... Well, I was too busy helping out to get into much mischief. But when Okaa-san was alive, I didn't always do everything I should."

Before Nabiki could comment either way, the door opened and Akane walked in wearing her robe and carrying her bath things. She froze upon seeing her two sisters sitting in the furo. "Gomen, Kasumi-chan, Nabiki-chan, I'll come back later."

"Come on in, Akane-chan," Kasumi invited.

"Hai!" Nabiki agreed. "Come in and play. We can splash, Akane-chan."

"You will not splash, Na-chan," the teenager declared sternly, which caused Nabiki to pout.

"Bubbles?" Akane observed.

"Might as well enjoy them, Akane," Kasumi offered, "Come in and relax."

"I think I'll wait, Onee-chan," Akane declined, starting to back out.

"You're still mad at me, ne 'Nee... Akane-chan?" Her eyes started to mist up.

"I'm confused," Akane admitted after several seconds.

"So am I... Come in and we can be confused together," Nabiki offered. Despite herself, Akane laughed and decided that it might be fun to join her sisters.

# # # # #

Later that night, Soun Tendo sat alone in his room looking through an old photo album reminiscing. There were photographs of his daughters as small children with him and his wife. He lifted his head as a gentle knock came at his door. "Come in!" he called out. The door opened to reveal Kasumi in the hallway, "Ah! Kasumi-chan... Come in."

Kasumi did so, sliding the door closed. "Otou-san..." she began as she approached Soun who was sitting by a low table. "Are you feeling all right?"

He looked at the album in his lap and sighed a little. "Just tired I guess, Kasumi." He looked up as she sat down near him. "Is Nabiki asleep?"

"Quite soundly, Daddy. She's had a long day." She smiled slightly. "She fell asleep while Ranma was reading a bedtime story to her."

"That's good. What happened to Nabiki sets a man to thinking." He pulled a hand over his face. "Your mother would have approved of young Saotome I think."

Kasumi regarded the album for a moment. It was open to a page containing a family photo taken on New Year's Day twelve years ago at the Otori Shrine. They were all wearing kimonos and big smiles. "It's hard to believe we were ever that small..."

"Small and giggly," her father corrected.

"Daddy, may I ask something?" When he nodded, the nineteen year old continued, "Why did you permit Ranma and Akane to become engaged?"

Soun flipped through a couple more pages apparently in thought. The picture on the page was crooked, as if the photographer was unsure how to hold the camera. Kasumi guessed it had to be herself or one of her sisters if her mother's look of affectionate exasperation was any indication.

Without looking at Kasumi, he explained, "I wanted her to be happy, Kasumi-chan." He raised his eyes to regard his eldest daughter. "I thought, still think, that Ranma can make Akane happy. Be the kind of man she needs."

Kasumi was silent for a moment then pointed out, "Ranma-kun has not made his choice."

Soun sighed. "I know, and I doubt now it will be Akane he chooses. She doesn't seem to be getting more affable about marrying him, nor less violent." He smiled. "I pushed their betrothal more for family than to unite our dojos. Finding a husband for you will not be difficult. Nabiki will find her own but Akane..." He sighed. "Saotome goes on about uniting our branches of the Anything Goes School and producing an heir. It was never just about that for me. My daughters' happiness means more." He closed the photo album and placed it on the table. "Kasumi-chan, if Ranma picks you, and you do not wish it, I will accept your choice. I will not force you."

"And Nabiki?"

"Nabiki is independent and will do as she likes, regardless of my feelings." Soun smiled then. "She was like that even as a little girl." The head of the Tendo Family chuckled then as memory came to him. "Your mother once spanked Nabiki and when I asked your imouto what she had learned, do you know what she said?" Kasumi shook her head. "Nabiki said, 'Wear three sets of winter underwear and make sure to know where Mommy is first.'"

His daughter giggled. Soun smiled, and moved to kiss her lightly on the forehead. "Arigato, Kasumi-chan. I like when my daughters laugh. And if the Kamis smile upon me, Nabiki and Akane will do the same."

Kasumi nodded before commenting, "Nabiki was talking in the furo earlier about feeling like she never behaved when she was younger. I tried to tell her I wasn't Little Miss Innocent either, Daddy, but she wouldn't believe me."

Her father grinned at that. "For the most part, you were, Musume. You didn't try to test the limits like your imouto." Here he smiled broadly. "You just tended to think that when you were told not to do something, it meant don't do it when your mother or I were around."

"Nani?"

"Well, one time you decided you were going to surprise your mother and me with supper. You were told 'Don't touch the stove.'"

"When was this?" Kasumi asked, her brow furrowing slightly trying to remember.

Soun considered for a moment. "Well, Akane was barely a toddler at the time. Your mother had laid down for a nap after having put Akane and Nabiki down for their naps. She figured I could keep an eye on you. Unfortunately, I got distracted by a sumo match on TV and you slipped off into the kitchen."

"Oh my..." Kasumi exclaimed, eyes widening, "I don't remember this."

"Thank the Kamis, you weren't hurt, but your mother was rather put out with both of us." He chuckled at the expression on Kasumi's face. He grew slightly serious then. "Do you think I should talk to Akane?"

"If you listen to Na-chan, she needs to be spanked," Kasumi commented, trying hard to keep her face straight.

"Sadly that wasn't something I ever did. It used to drive your mother up the wall. I left that all to her and when she was gone..."

"Sometimes I wanted to, Daddy, after Okaa-san died," Kasumi admitted.

"The fact that you didn't is shows the level of patience you have with both your imouto and myself. Gomen for burdening you with all of this, Kasumi-chan." He gave her another kiss on the forehead and got up. "Since you girls are done, I'm for a bath."

It was only after Soun had left the room that Kasumi remembered there were still pink bubbles in the bathwater. Smiling, Kasumi opened the photo album and started leafing through it.

# # # # #

Akane was about to climb into bed when she heard a knock at her door. "Hai?"

"It's me, Akane-chan," Kasumi's voice answered.

"Come in, 'Nee-chan," Akane said, sitting down on her bed. She was puzzled to see a book in Kasumi's arms. "What's that?"

"A photo album that Otou-san was looking at earlier." Her older sister crossed the room and settled herself on Akane's bed beside her younger sister. "Look at this!" The older girl opened the photo album and held it for Akane. As she studied the picture, Kasumi declared, "I bet this is the first picture of you in a gi."

"I have long hair," was Akane's comment. "Why is everybody being sentimental just because of Nabiki's little girl act?"

"You think your sister can fool Tofu-sensei, ne?"

Akane snorted. "Hai, Nabiki could pull it off if she sets her mind to it. It's just kinda convenient is all, 'Nee-chan. Of course, that baka Ranma fell for it. I can't figure how Nabiki's going to make any money doing it."

Kasumi waited a few seconds before saying, "I heard about the challenge between you and Ranma. When is it?"

"Tomorrow," the sixteen year old answered, "And I'm not backing out of it."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Kasumi said smoothly.

"Nani? If you're not here to talk me out of it, Kasumi, then why are you here?"

Kasumi sighed. "Must you be mad at everyone, Imouto?"

Akane blushed and looked at her feet. "Gomen... I'm just... I didn't mean to snap at you, Onee-chan. It's been a very confusing day." When her sister only nodded, Akane got up and moved to sit at her desk so she could look out the window. "It's all Ranma's fault. Why did Dad ever think one of us would want to marry that pervert Ranma Saotome? His father's just as baka."

"I think Saotome-ojisan's reasons are not the same as our father's," Kasumi speculated after a moment. "You really don't want to marry Ranma, ne Akane?"

"If I had a choice, iie, but Dad..." The teen sighed, crossed her arms, and put her forehead down on them. "Would you, 'Nee-chan?"

"If Ranma chose me, I would."

"But what about what you want? Is family honor so important? We're not just hunks of meat," Akane huffed, looking intently at her reserved sister.

"Akane-chan, what I want and what you or Nabiki want are different things." When the young woman frowned, Kasumi elaborated, "True, I would prefer a man closer to my age... That said I want a home, a good husband and father, and a large family. Ranma is an honorable young man. I think he would work hard to give me what I want. I'm sure love would come later."

"Oh please..." The young teen sounded disgusted. "And don't tell me Nabiki wants love. All Nabiki wants is money."

"I think Nabiki wants independence and stability, and she sees wealth as the way to gain it. 'Money is power' I think is a good saying." Kasumi regarded her younger sister critically. "She's not a housewife, Akane, no more than I'm a businesswoman. Sure, I can make a budget, do a little banking, shop for the groceries, but anything higher..." She shrugged. "Nabiki handles all the finances. Without her, we would've likely lost the dojo years ago."

"And what about me?" her younger sister prodded, looking sour.

"You're like Otou-san. You're concerned with the martial rather than material world." Kasumi considered. "Daddy only wanted you to be happy." Akane stiffened. "May I ask something, Akane-chan?"

"Nani?" her little sister growled.

"What truly bothers you so much about Ranma?"

Akane's fists clenched and she grinded her teeth together. At first, Kasumi thought that her sister wouldn't reply but she eventually admitted, "When he first showed up here, I asked him to spar. I thought he was a girl." She scowled in recollection. "Ranma beat me easy and then didn't have the guts to tell me he was a guy!"

"And if he had?"

Akane's expression softened some. The teen suddenly sounded as tired as Soun looked. "I don't know, Onee-chan... I thought he could be my friend. I have a couple at school but they aren't interested in Aikido or Tendo-ryu. Nobody could beat me! Dad doesn't train with me anymore and here comes a girl who I could probably learn from..." Akane turned to stare out the window. 'We both had people chasing after us, wanting to date us, or marry us. He'll fight Shampoo and Ukyo and Ryouga, even Kuno... and I beat Kuno!'

Suddenly Akane whirled back. "The baka doesn't take me seriously!" When Kasumi looked blank, she amended, "He won't fight with me as he does Saotome-oji or Ryouga!"

"And that's what you want?"

"Of course, Kasumi! I'm as good as he is!" 'I just need to prove it to him then maybe...'

"I see... So you think of martial arts all the time then, ne?"

"Nani? Of course not! There's more to my life than 'The Art'."

Kasumi stood. "Indeed Imouto... For Ranma, 'The Art' IS life."

End of Chapter 13

Coming next in Chapter 14 - Coming to Grips